It took a little longer than normal for la liga. While several men have been touted for the chop – notably Marcelo Bielsa and Mauricio Pellegrino – jornada 13 provided one loss too many for RCD Espanyol, and in late November, the managerial axe finally fell for the first time this season. Mauricio Pochettino, who had been the longest-serving coach in la liga after three years at Espanyol, took over in late January 2009 when the Barcelona-based side were third from bottom; his only task was to save them from relegation. But the Argentinean, who had plied his trade for his national side, Espanyol, Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux as a central defender, did more than that, giving … [Read more...] about La Liga: Espanyol’s Pochettino falls on his sword
Sports
La Liga: prodigal Reyes finds form for derby demolition
He has exasperated fans and coaches wherever he has played. Sevilla, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Benfica and then Sevilla again. He started out as the 16-year-old boy wonder with the world at his feet and while he has reached plenty of heights during his career, in recent years the feeling is that his is a talent unfulfilled. José Antonio Reyes, now 29, has been one of Spanish football’s greatest enigmas of the last decade and some would say one of its biggest disappointments. But on Sunday night, the Sevilla winger reminded la liga why he was once talked about with such awe. It didn’t take him long to make his mark on the Andalusian derby - 14 seconds, in fact. Betis … [Read more...] about La Liga: prodigal Reyes finds form for derby demolition
La Liga: Levante v Real Madrid
The Ciutat de València has been a fortress this season, with no team having won there and on Sunday night it was certainly the scene of an epic battle. As José Mourinho’s men were all too aware, the home of Levante has been a tough place to go and the team had never won there in the league under the Portuguese coach. Madrid lost here last season, dropping vital points which were forgotten in the wake of their league win but now, trailing league leaders Barcelona by an eight-point gap, memories of the loss could not be ignored. Sergio Ballesteros, a veteran defender who you would not like to meet in a darkened alley, sent a clear message to the opposition, carried via the front cover of … [Read more...] about La Liga: Levante v Real Madrid
La Liga: Barça rewrite history books under Vilanova
Tito Vilanova was at it again at the weekend. Having spent several years as Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man it must be fairly routine for him now, but his Barcelona side’s 3-1 victory over Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou saw him write yet another page in the history books. The Catalans, who remain unbeaten, equalled the record for the most points after 10 games in La Liga, earning 28 points out of a possible 30 and matching the record set by their rivals Real Madrid. Three goals in the space of five minutes brought the game to life, with the opener coming from a Pedro cross from the right for Adriano to slot home after just 20 minutes. The visitors’ reply was immediate and with Barça … [Read more...] about La Liga: Barça rewrite history books under Vilanova
La Liga: Falcao firepower lets Atlético dream
He struck again at the weekend, scoring the winner, his 10th league goal of the season on match day nine and sending fans into raptures in the Spanish capital. He has done it time and time again this season, carrying his teammates on his back if needs be, turning a game with his individual brilliance and a seemingly insatiable appetite for goals. He has carried his side all the way to the top of the league in joint place with Barcelona on 25 points from a possible 27 and his name is being touted as a possible FIFA Ballon d’Or winner. But what is most astonishing about the man in question, is that he does not play decked in white, he plies his trade for the other team in the city, Atlético … [Read more...] about La Liga: Falcao firepower lets Atlético dream
La Liga: Early-season form leaves Málaga relishing Milan visit
“There is nothing that can distract us,” said Manuel Pellegrini before the weekend’s liga game, reassuring fans that his side would be focusing solely on the visit of Real Valladolid to La Rosaleda and not the impending visit of AC Milan in the Champions League in midweek. But the coach's words almost fell on deaf ears as Los Boquerones found themselves in danger of dropping points until the final minutes of the match. They got off to a bad start when Valladolid’s Manucho Gonçalves fired the visitors into a surprising lead just nine minutes in, but midfielder Francisco Román “Isco” Alarcón levelled the scores eight minutes before the break with an accurate low finish from an Eliseu … [Read more...] about La Liga: Early-season form leaves Málaga relishing Milan visit
La Liga: Barça still in the driving seat after thrilling ‘Clásico’
“When Madrid play Barcelona, the world stops” said José Mourinho, who this week took part in his 14th Clásico in two years. The game had the potential to effectively kill off his side’s aspirations of retaining their league title given that a defeat would have put Barcelona 11 points clear, a surely unassailable lead. A poor start to the campaign – Mourinho’s worst ever as a manager – meant this game was almost already a title decider. Win this and Hay Liga, lose and it would be all over at this early stage of the season. As if that was not enough tension, with growing calls for Catalan independence, matchday seven at the Camp Nou was set to be a chance for 100,000 culés to express … [Read more...] about La Liga: Barça still in the driving seat after thrilling ‘Clásico’
La Liga: Basque derby highlights Bielsa’s lack of ideas
Heading into Saturday night’s Basque derby, Real Sociedad had failed to secure a victory over their regional neighbours for two and half years, with Athletic Bilbao having won both games last season. Not so long ago, Los Leones would have been clear favourites for the match having reached both the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Europa League final last year. This season, however, has seen Marcelo Bielsa’s men get off to a poor start, winning just one of their opening five Liga matches and it was to get no better at the Anoeta this weekend. Real Sociedad’s Antoine Griezmann had two dangerous efforts well saved by Gorka Iraizoz in the first-half but he finally broke the deadlock when his shot … [Read more...] about La Liga: Basque derby highlights Bielsa’s lack of ideas
La Liga: Mallorca defeat completes sorry week for Valencia
It has been a rather depressing week for Valencia. It began with a loss in their Champions League game, it continued when their new stadium plans were abruptly put on hold due to financial problems and finally, a sorry defeat to Mallorca at the weekend leaves Los Che with just a single victory in six competitive games. At Mallorca’s Iberostar stadium Victor Casadesús fired the hosts into the lead just seven minutes into the game when he squeezed his shot under Diego Alves. The visitors enjoyed more of the ball for the remainder of the first half and were unlucky not to level the score when Nelson Valdez's header came crashing back off the bar. Despite the continual pressure from … [Read more...] about La Liga: Mallorca defeat completes sorry week for Valencia
The Pep Paradox
August 2016: The newly-proclaimed state of Catalonia has separated completely from Spain, whose flags no longer fly anywhere in the city of Barcelona except on the flagstaff of the Spanish Embassy. The sports press is full of news about the recent “friendly” international between the Catalan and Spanish national teams, the first in history, which despite a few ugly incidents outside the stadium passed off without a hitch. A goalless draw was seen by many as a fitting result to symbolise the relations between Spain and the nascent Catalan Republic. And of course the main story for sportswriters, as always, is FC Barcelona – Barça – as they prepare for a new season… playing against Real … [Read more...] about The Pep Paradox